The Countess

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Cast & Crew

Julie Delpy
Erzebet Bathory

William Hurt
Gyorgy Thurzo

Daniel Brühl
Istvan Thurzo

Anamaria Marinca
Anna Darvulia

Andy Gatjen
Miklos

Adriana Altaras
Klara

Jack O. Berglund
Ferenc Nadsky

Lukas T. Berglund
Paul Báthory

Sebastian Blomberg
Dominic Vizakna

Sabine Firit
Maid

Julie Delpy
Director

Julie Delpy
Screenwriter

Christian Baute
Executive Producer

Matthew E. Chausse
Producer

Julie Delpy
Producer

Skady Lis
Executive Producer

Julie Delpy
Original Music

Martin Ruhe
Cinematographer

Andrew Bird
Film Editor

Anja Dihrberg
Casting

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Critic Reviews for The Countess

Audience Reviews for The Countess

• Nov 09, 2014

  Despite its first-rate costume design and Erzsébet Báthory being such a fascinating subject, this flawed historical drama seems more like a soap opera that tries too hard to soften her image as someone broken-hearted by love but ends too ambiguous for us to care.
  Carlos M Super Reviewer
• Oct 05, 2013

  In "The Countess," the bad news is that Erzebet Bathory(Julie Delpy, who also wrote and directed) has been promised in marriage to Ferenc Nadasdy(Charly Hubner) since she was born. The good news is that they make a great team with him being the only competent military leader able to defeat the invading Turks while her business prowess makes them so wealthy that even King Matthias(Jesse Inman) borrows from them. But since this is the 1500's, sudden death is a fact of life which claims Ferenc. As a highly sought catch as a widow, Erzebet has more than her share of suitors like Gyorgy Thurzo(William Hurt) but rejects him. That does not mean she is willing to give up on sharing her bed as she takes the younger Istvan(Daniel Bruhl) as her lover. With the talky "The Countess," Julie Delpy does not show the same ability for historical dramas, what with the panoply of accents, that she has shown for detailing the emotional perils of the modern age in her other films. But she does pull off a neat narrative trick here by documenting how unreliable a narrator can be, especially from a second hand source, thus letting the viewer make up his mind as to what really happened, just as all the characters have already made up their minds beforehand. At the same time, we get to see how certain myths came into existence like vampires and Snow White.
  Walter M Super Reviewer
• Feb 26, 2012

  This has to be the only and best direct biography film or close to it of real life female serial murderer of the most brutal and sadistic kind Elizabeth Bathory who legends say that she bathed in virgins blood, though that legend never made it to the big screen and many more unfortunately which could of made it horrifyingly powerful. Julie Delpy portrays Bathory with such coldness, strength and confidence that it gave me chills and she directed the film with ease and care leaving most to the imagination making you think the most darkest happenings and the story is so fascinating and terrifying that yes this did happen long ago in the 17th century that an aging countess got so desperate for youth that she murdered young virgins and drained them for their blood thinking something pure is in them to make her have a youthful glow or was it something more to her story? Her mystiqueness she took to her grave forever. The chilly atmoshere was effective and added to the doom and dread of the film but as a whole I really think they held back and played it safe and was quite capable at pulling out a much greater and powerful film about Elizabeth Bathory but this is just fine for now and just as bizarre as the fact and case. Overall I wasn't blown completely away by it but the commitment of Julie Delpy was impressionable and solid and I look forward to her next effort because I do think she is underrated as an actress and director. Recommended for at least one viewing. 6.5 out of 10
  Matt S Super Reviewer
• Nov 05, 2011

  Despite a very interesting story. The Countess is an averagely acted film that seems a little fake and bland. It does teaches some history but still, not as good as I thought it would be.
  August S Super Reviewer

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